So angry!

[Tigerlily (Allison)]

I'm afraid I caved in today  I was sitting in the garden with the back door open and the little black cat belonging to my friend's neighbours came into the garden, went straight into my kitchen and started eating what was remaining of my two kitties breakfast. Normally I would chase him out but I just couldn't when I saw the way he was woofing down the food. In fact I put a few more biccies out for him.
I must admit, when he'd finished eating I also picked him up for a cuddle and he was purring like a engine. He's such a little sweetheart. I just can't understand these people getting these cats/kittens then not taking care of them 

[JackSpratt]

We have a Ginger Cat that until we fitted a microchip cat flap was just letting himself in, eating our cats food or even worse, guarding it from them. He'd play with their toys too. If he'd been non aggressive we'd have dealt with it, but he's a bully. I tried talking to the owner who told me I "shouldn't make my home so easy for cats to get into then." Idiot. We now have the Sureflap and I have to chase this cat out the garden - his humans have done nothing to make his home more appealing to him as far as I can see.

Those poor kittens. Makes me so angry to hear of people being so negligent with animal care.

[Sarah_Jane]

Think these kittens need to just keep going mysteriously missing. . . . 

Or you could go with Jiskefets idea of taking photos and logging times etc

Poor little babes you must be feelignt erribly frustrated 

[Tigerlily (Allison)]

A further update to this story.

My friend next door is coming down every morning and finding the young black cat asleep under her kitchen table. She has to lock her catflap when she feeds her cats otherwise he muscles his way in and eats their food. The little tabby and white kitten is now outside a lot of the time and me and my friend next quite frequently hear it meowing in the neighbours garden. I spotted her in my friend's garden the other day but she saw me and scampered off.

The most recent development; my friend's neighbours have now got another kitten  A ginger and white this time. My friend and her husband were very distressed last night as they heard meowing and when they looked out their bedroom window they could see this kitten in their neighbour's back garden and it was out there for ages.

Last week my friend saw her neighbour going into his house so she said to him about the young black cat coming into her house all the time. He just shrugged his shoulders and laughed 

[Jiskefet]

There may be food for them, but if the food is inside the house, and they are not letting them in whenever they want to eat, they will go hungry.....
Just like putting a dog on a chain and putting the food bowl out of reach.

It will be difficult to let a cat suffer, but if you'd stop feeding them, it will be clear soon enough if they are being fed or not. If they  are clearly losing weight, you will have a case.
But you will have to inform the RSPCA beforehand that you think they are not being fed properly, and you will all stop feeding them in order to find out if they are.
Take a pic of each cat every time you see it and have the date and time shown on each pic. If they rely on your food, it will show soon enough, and you will have proof.

[Tigerlily (Allison)]

I agree JS. I'm afraid when I called the RSPCA about the two tortie females and they did nothing about the situation, I lost faith in them. 

[JackSpratt]

The RSPCA officer that came last time said the people the cats belonged to aren't bad people as such, they are just of the opinion that cats are OK outside, whatever the weather.

Then it's up to him to educate them. What a slacker....

[alisonandarchie]

Just dreadful, poor kits

What are the RSPCA playing at this is a situation where they ought to step in

[Tigerlily (Allison)]

Jiskefet, thank you for your thoughts and I agree it would be a good way to put things to the RSPCA but when I got home today I discussed things with my friend next door and we agree that we think the RSPCA, if they even came out, would say the same as they did last time, that they are unable to do anything because the cats/kittens these people are getting are not actually being mistreated, just not being given the type of care that people like you and I would give them. The RSPCA officer that came last time said the people the cats belonged to aren't bad people as such, they are just of the opinion that cats are OK outside, whatever the weather. He also said that when he visited that they had food there for the cats but in mine and my friend's opinion they aren't getting fed enough as they always seem so hungry. When the two tortie girls used to come to my house they bolted the food down I gave them so fast they were nearly choking. And when my friend took Ginge on full time, despite being a tom cat he was very small, and very skinny. He's now a fine looking specimen 

JS, I do hope that kitty is OK too. How sad 

[JackSpratt]

How very sad about the kitty in the house across the road from you 

They moved after it all happened and he went with them. He deserves so much better; such an affectionate boy and even when they were in they were leaving him out in all weathers. It would be snowing and he'd be sat on the bin next to the door waiting for them to open it....It got to the point I realised if they saw me opening the door to put food out for him they'd get so annoyed they'd immediately come and shout him. So I started doing it as soon as I noticed him..... Bless him, hope he's OK.

The only option is to keep bugging the RSPCA.

[Jiskefet]

I simply don't understand how these people can take a cat and then not mind them running off and someone elkse taking them in. They MUST know that several of their neighbours have taken in cats of theirs as supposed strays.
If someone else had MY cat, I'd be a their door demanding them back....
So it is quite obvious they really do not care sh*t about them.

@Tigerlily: I think you should slightly rephrase your story to the RSPCA.
You are not rescuing the poor kitties, but you keep being invaded by starving kittens that invade and ransack your homes to find food, shelter and a kind human.
you/your friends simply cannot get rit of them, apart from taking them to a rescue, so in the end, being cat lovers, you/they have allowed these neglected cats that have claimed your cats' food and home, to stay.
But you cannot accept you keep having your houses invaded by someone else's neglected, starving poorly socialized cats.

@ Millie's mum, DO inform the RSPCA that the puppy is being left outside, not being trained, not being socialized, so most definitely growing up to be a fearful/dominant and probably agressive dog.
You only have to watch Cesar Millan's program to see what becomes of poorly socialized pups. They simply haven't learned to interact with humans OR other dogs and can become positively dangerous.

[Millies mum]

I really feel for you as my neighbours are exactly the same 
they have had 6 cats in the space of 2 years!!!
2 of them were neglected and disappeared or ran off
2 were a result of RTA
2 of them were cat napped 
Each time they lost a cat they went and got another one!!
Then they went and brought a puppy at xmas so tiny no bigger than a cat which is left out side in a kennel and gets shouted at when he barks for attention some people just want shooting it's a no win battle

[Tigerlily (Allison)]

Thanks JS  Just picking up your point about the kittens once they've grown not being neutered, when the problem arose with the two tortie females and the RSPCA came out, they gave the owners vouchers to get them neutered, which thankfully they used. However, I doubt very much this would have happened if the RSPCA hadn't provided the vouchers. 

Quite true too in what you're saying about us running out of homes to take on these little ones. Before I lost Lily I had 3 cats and after losing her I was so tempted to go out and get a kitten but decided against it due to the rising cost of food, vet bills, insurance etc which is why I can't take on anymore.

How very sad about the kitty in the house across the road from you 

[JackSpratt]

  I'm angry for you. And I had little to no luck when we noticed a cat across the road had essentially been left to fend for itself while the owners went away. (Transpires the situation was someone agreed to feed him and then couldn't due to their own health issues. Why they agreed to feed him knowing they HAD the health issues that might cause a problem I don't know. What matters is that the RSPCA put sellotape on the door and he was in there four days alone with no interaction; and it must've been about a week before they came to do anything.....) The RSPCA agreed it was out of order and proceeded to post food and ice cubes through the door while we watched a friendly cat practically have a breakdown with no human interaction and no freedom which he was used to. When the owners got back the RSPCA went in with a carrier.....and came out with the same carrier as empty as when they went in.

All I can say is that if you're really worried, maybe enhance the possibilities of things like colds that can progress quickly in kittens.  State this behaviour isn't just going on in summer months but all year round and you're worried what will happen to the little ones come winter, when they're old enough to mother but won't have been neutered and have nowhere safe to shelter.

Sadly, you will run out of homes with you and your friends. Budgets just don't stretch the way they should in these circumstances....

Sending you a hug. Sounds like you need one.

[Tigerlily (Allison)]

Rosella, thanks for your thoughts  I might just copy my post above, do a few alterations and send it to the RSPCA as you have suggested. It's just so frustrating. As you have so rightly said, me and my neighbours can't keep taking on these poor little waifs and strays 

[Rosella moggy]

Can only suggest you contact RSPCA again Allison explaining exactly what you have explained in your post.  Give them a chance to redeem themselves. 

Put it in writing and ask that you be contacted to let you know what action they have taken.  Mention animal welfare act and that neighbours are obviously not feeding their cats or providing shelter and you/your neighbours cannot keep taking them in.  RSPCA should threaten to take legal action against these neighbours and then follow through if they don't play ball.

I know this is all easier said than done but have no other suggestions 

[shirleyp01]

I certainly feel for you, and your friend.  We had a similar problem not so long ago not to the extent that you are having i might add.  The RSPCA will do nothing about it, but for the rest of the caring community they have to take care of their problems.
Like you i would not leave a cat/kitten out in the heat/cold we had to do something about it.

[Tigerlily (Allison)]

I feel so angry right now 

The neighbours two doors down from me keep getting cats and not looking after them. I will explain a bit further.

A few years ago they got a ginger kitty who was shut outside in all weathers and when the people that owned him got themselves a dog Ginge was neglected even further. He started spending more and more time huddled under my friend's next door gazebo. At one point I was so concerned about the state of him I was going to pick him up and take him to my friend who runs the cat rescue but my friend who lives next door decided to take him on on a full time basis. She has had him  neutered and he has intergrated very well with her two cats.

A couple of years ago two tortie kittens showed up. It was January and we were having temperatures at night of -10 but the kittens who I estimated to be about 10 - 12 weeks were being left out all night. I would come down in the morning at 5am to find them sat outside my back door . They always seemed to be extremely hungry, dashing in and munching my cats food at any opportunity. I eventually started taking them in at night because the weather was so bad and feeding them whatever I could but couldn't afford to take them on on a full time basis because I already had three of my own cats.

I decided to contact the RSPCA about the kittens who came out and spoke to the people but did very little about the situation. Eventually my next door neighbour ended up taking on the kittens full-time meaning she now has 5 kitties.

Last year a tabby and white female turned up and again she seemed constantly hungry, always trying to get into either my kitchen to eat my cats food, or going into my friend's kitchen and eating the food there. One day when I was looking after my friend's kitties while she was away I went in to her place and found the tabby and white female curled up on the settee. I picked her up to put her outside and was pretty sure that she was pregnant. Not long after that she disappeared, never to be seen again.

A few weeks ago a black kitten, approx 12 weeks old, turned up. He's a bold little fella and because it's summer myself and my friend next door have got our back doors open all the time, he just walks right in with absolutely no fear and starts munching at any cat food that's available.

Yesterday morning, I opened my back door to find a tiny, tiny black and white kitten wandering around outside my back door. This kitten can't be more than 8 weeks old. My friend came out in the garden and said she'd heard the kitten meowing in her neighbours back garden since about 5am. The kitten wandered into my neighbours garden that lives the other side of me. This lady has been saying to me for some time that she wanted to get a kitten so I knocked on her back door and showed her what was wandering round in her back garden. She has taken the kitten in and is going to keep it.

Yesterday evening I had a phone call from my friend next door to say her husband had seen a tabby and white kitten about the same size as the black and white one wandering around in her neighbours back garden.

Me and my friend next door are at our wits end with these people. What possesses them to keep getting these cats and not taking proper care of them? Also we feel so helpless as my call to the RSPCA a few years ago did absolutely no good as the RSPCA officer said that the people weren't mistreating the cats.